Traction wheel drive for automobiles



Oct. 20, 1953 F. w. WOLF TRACTION WHEEL DRIVE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Feb.14, 1951 @www dwg INVENTOR I u I 11111111111 Patented ct. 20, 1953UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE TRACTION WHEEL DRIVE `FOR AUTOMOBILESFrederick W. Woli, Chicago, Ill.

ApplicationFebruary'll, 1951', Serial No. 210337/ 4i Claims..

My=inventioni relates to thetra'ction wheel'slof automotivev vehicles,and more particularly to meansf forv procuring the diiferential actionthereof when rounding curves. Ordinarily, a differential mechanism v isemployed requiring the use of an'l axle in two sectionavand one of thefaults ofk this arrangement isthat slippage of one wheelwill absorb thedrivingpower through the differential mechanism without securing therotation of thev other wheel. Also, the cost of a wheel,- installationinvolvingA the conventional differential mechanism is a considerableAitem in the production of the vehicle. In view of these considerations,it is one object of the present invention to provide an arrangementwhich dispenses with the conventional differential mechanism, yetsecures a positive hold on both wheels in order to drive both underordinary conditions and at least one in case the other slips on an icyor oily pavement.

A further object is to provide a drive of the above character whichemploys a single axle shaft from wheel to wheel and completelyeliminates a differential mechanism in the medial zone.

Another object is to provide a drive which becomes positive in respectto either wheel as long as such wheel is in tractive engagement with theground.

An important object is to provide a drive of the above character whichis readily adaptable to wheels of conventional design.

An additional object is to provide a drive which is of exceedingsimplicity and therefore economical to produce and maintain.

With the above objects in view, and any others which may suggestthemselves from the description to follow, a better understanding of theinvention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which-Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the rear portion of an automotive wheeldrive, partly broken away, and incorporating the invention;

Fig. 2 is a magnified section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and showing theWheel assembled;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing some of the components ofthe whe-el separated; and

Fig 4 is a fragmental section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring specifically to the drawing, I denotes the body of a typicalautomotive wheel. The same is shown formed with peripheral rim portionsII and I2 suitable to receive a tire and being secured by a bolt I3. Itis of course possible to have a different rim construction for the wheelbody I0, since the invention does not reside in the rim zone of thewheel.

Theaxle offthevehiclewis:indicated at I5, and the axle shaft at IB.. Thesame receives'ar hub I1 and thewheel body In receives membersextendingaxially toveach sideof said body to form an annular receptacle I 8surrounding f the hub-.- I 1;, such: membersbeing; riveted tothe bodyIll-at; I9 to become rigidly attached;v thereto;

Interiorly of the receptacle i8-thewheelbody lil; is: oilset axiallytoformone: wallv 20?' of an intermediate; chamberV or enclosure, and a1plate 2l is applied tothefotherf sidezofthe` bodyg por.- tion. In priortol riveting;` the-receptacle members and. is offset similarly to..Yformi a secondA wall 22:. The enclosure formed by the walls 2li- 22receives a collar 23 forming a central enlargement of the hub Il; andthe receptacle I8 contains ball bearings 25 for the hub I'I at each sidethereof.

The collar 23 is extended peripherally with a block 26; and theenclosure 20-22 is spanned by a cross-bar 2l which is in the rotary pathof the block 26.

With the hubs Il made fast on the axle shaft I6, it is apparent that therotation of the latter from the power unit of the vehicle will bring theblock 26 of each wheel hub to bear against the cross-bar 2l thereof asshown in Fig. 4, whereby to positively drive both wheels. Further, whenone wheel turns slowly on the inner side of a curve being rounded by thevehicle, the faster rotation of the other wheel on the outer side of thecurve will be limited when its block 26 meets the cross-bar 21, so thatthe outer wheel will slip to a limited extent as both Wheels continue onthe turn. This circumstance is not of serious consequence when it isconsidered that most curves negotiated by automotive vehicles are of aquarter-turn extent and rather wide radius, so that the amount ofslippage undergone by the outer wheel is limited and even negligiblewhen it is considered that driving is largely in a straight course orwith curves which are slight and do not require differential action onthe part of the wheels. Further, in case one of the wheels should slipon an icy or oily pavement, the positive drive is still imparted to theother wheel, so that its traction may draw the vehicle out of thedifficulty caused by the pavement referred to. Finally, the simplicityof the drive and the single axle shaft procure a great saving over thecost of the conventional differential mechanism and the bearings for thesections of the axle shaft, so that it is possible to produce the noveldrive economically as a marked improvement over existing differentialdrives.

While I have described the invention along specific lines, various minorchanges or refinements may be made therein without departing from itsprinciple, and I reserve the right to employ all such changes andrenements as may come within the scope and spirit of the appendedclaims.

I claim: i,

1. A drive for a pair of laterally spaced traction wheels comprising ashaft on which the wheels are centered and which is adapted to receiverotation from a power source, a hub carried rigidly by the shaft in thezone of each Wheel, the hub having an enlargement intermediate its ends,a projection extending radially from the enlargement, an enclosurecarried by the wheel and receiving the enlargement radially part-way, anabutment carried by the enclosure in the space beyond the enlargement inthe rotating path of the projection, a receptacle carried by the wheeland formed with companion members encircling the outer end portions ofthe hub, said receptacle receiving the enclosure in the central portionthereof so as to form spaces between the sides of the receptacle andthose of the enclosure, and ball bearings located in such spaces, onecomponent of the ball bearings being carried by the receptacle and theother by the hub.

2. The structure of claim l, the wheel body being in the form of aplate, and the receptacle members having flanges riveted to the plate.

3. The structure of claim 1, the wheel body being in the form of aplate, a companion plate secured to the wheel plate in doubled relation,and said enclosure being formed by outward oisets of the two plates.

4. A drive for a pair of laterally-spaced traction wheels comprising aYshaft on which the wheels are centered and which is adapted to receiverotation from a power source, a hub carred rigidly by the shaft in thezone of each wheel and having an enlargement intermediate its ends, areceptacle carried by the Wheel and encircling the hub, an annularenclosure carried by the wheel intermediate the ends of the receptacleand receiving the enlargement radially part-way, a projection extendingradially from the enlargement, an aubtment carried inside by theenclosure in the rotating path of the projection, and ball bearingslocated in the spaces between the sides of the enclosure and those ofthe receptacle, one component of the ball bearings being carried by thereceptacle and the other by the hub for journaling the wheel on thelatter.

FREDERICK W. WOLF.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,262,049 Hollis Apr. 9, 1918 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 88,080 France 1 Dec. 7, 1869

